Austin Community College

FY 2005 Degree Plan

The Associate of Applied Science Degree in Technical Communications is designed to give students skills and background essential for careers in technical communications. Coursework includes developing print and online materials, online helps, web sites, and graphics; working within the documentation process as writers, editors, reviewers, designers, and coordinators; exploring industry developments involving single sourcing, content management, and document control; using software applications most in demand by employers to develop portfolio-quality documents; and, most importantly, practicing clear succinct direct writing that is carefully adapted to its intended audience.

Semester I

	ENGL	1301		English Composition I	3
	BCIS	1305		Business Computer Applications1 OR	3
	COSC	1301		Personal Computing OR
	COSC	1300		Introduction to Computing OR
+	POFT	1329		Keyboarding and Document Formatting -- MS Word I OR
				Semester II Course
				Oral Communication2	3
				Computer Elective3	3
				Visual Communication Elective4	3
					------- 15

Semester II

+	ENGL	2311		Technical & Business Writing	3
	ARTC	1402		Digital Imaging I	4
				Computer Elective3	3
				Visual Communication Elective4	3
				Math Elective5	3
					------- 16

Semester III

+	ETWR	2472		Book-Length Documents with Adobe FrameMaker OR	4
+	POFI	2431		Desktop Publishing for the Office: Book-Length Documents with MS Word
+	ITSE	1405		Web Authoring and Publishing: Hypertext, Websites, and Online Helps	4
+	POFT	2359		Records and Information Management III: Indexing and Document Control	3
				Social and Behavioral Science6	3
				Visual Communication Elective5	3
					------- 17

Semester IV

+	ITSE	1356		Introduction to XML OR	3-4
+	BMGT	1409		Information and Project Management: Documentation Process and Content Management
+	POFT	1307		Proofreading and Editing: Business, Government and Technical Publications	3
				Humanities7	3
				Business & Technical Communications Elective8	3
				Computer Elective3 OR	3
				Visual Communication Elective4
+	ETWR	1391		Special Topics in English Technical and Business Writing	3
#				Capstone Portfolio Examination9
					------- 18-19
				TOTALS	------- 66-67

¹ Students lacking computer skills should take COSC 1301 or BCIS 1305; students without experience with Microsoft Word should take POFT 1329. Students with skills in these areas should take a Semester II course such as ENGL 2311 or ARTC 1402.
² Select from Oral Communications in the General Education Course List.
³ Students are encouraged to take related sequences of courses focusing on computer networks, databases, operating systems, or programming from the Computer Information Technology and the Computer Science departments.
⁴ Students are encouraged to take related sequences of courses focusing on web design, graphics, automated drafting, and multimedia from the Visual Communications or Engineering Design Graphics departments.
⁵ Select from Mathematics in the General Education Course List.
⁶ Select from Social and Behavioral Sciences in the General Education Course List.
⁷ Select from Humanities and Fine Arts in the General Education Course List.
⁸ Select from Business & Technical Communications courses.
⁹ Fourth semester capstone requirement - Portfolio Examination.

The Certificate in Technical Communications is designed to give students skills and background essential for careers in technical communications. Coursework in this certificate can be applied to the Associate of Applied Science degree in Technical Communications.

Semester I

	ENGL	1301		English Composition I	3
	BCIS	1305		Business Computer Applications1 OR	3
	COSC	1301		Personal Computing OR
	COSC	1300		Introduction to Computing OR
+	POFT	1329		Keyboarding and Document Formatting -- MS Word I OR
				Semester II Course
				Computer Elective2	3
				Visual Communication Elective3	3
					------- 12

Semester II

+	ENGL	2311		Technical & Business Writing	3
+	ETWR	2472		Book-Length Documents with Adobe FrameMaker	4
+	ITSE	1405		Web Authoring and Publishing: Hypertext, Websites, and Online Helps	4
+	ITSE	1356		Introduction to XML	3
+	POFI	2431		Desktop Publishing for the Office: Book-Length Documents with MS Word OR	4
+	BMGT	1409		Information and Project Management: Documentation Process and Content Management
	ARTC	1402		Digital Imaging I OR	3-4
+	POFT	2359		Records and Information Management III: Indexing and Document Control
+	POFT	1307		Proofreading and Editing: Business, Government and Technical Publications	3
				Computer Elective2	3
				Visual Communication Elective3	3
#				Capstone Portfolio Examination
					------- 30-31
				TOTALS	------- 42-43

¹ Students lacking computer skills should take COSC 1300, COSC 1301, or BCIS 1305; students with limited experience with Microsoft Word should take POFT 1329. Students with skills in these areas should take a Semester II course such as ENGL 2311 or ARTC 1402.
² Students are encouraged to take related sequences of courses focusing on computer networks, databases, operating systems, or programming from Computer Information Technology or Computer Sciences.
³ Students are encouraged to take related sequences of courses focusing on web design, graphics, automated drafting, and multimedia from Visual Communications or Engineering Design Graphics.
⁴ Students are required to complete the Capstone Portfolio Examination.

The Associate of Applied Science Degree in Business and Government Communications is designed for information specialists in business and government who write a lot in their work but who are not trained as writers and whose job titles do not include "writer." Coursework includes developing print, online, and graphic materials; writing grant and new-business proposals as well as effective business correspondence; handling statistical material both in text as well as in tables, charts, and graphs; using software applications common to the business and government environments; and, most importantly, practicing clear succinct direct writing that is carefully adapted to its intended audience and that gets the job done.

Semester I

	ENGL	1301		English Composition I	3
+	BUSI	1304		Business Report Writing and Correspondence	3
				Oral Communication1	3
+	ETWR	1372		Grammar/Style	3
	BCIS	1305		Business Computer Applications2 OR	3
	COSC	1301		Personal Computing OR
	COSC	1300		Introduction to Computing OR
+	POFT	1329		Keyboarding and Document Formatting -- MS Word I OR
				Semester II course
					------- 15

Semester II

				Business Studies Elective3	3
	ARTC	1402		Digital Imaging I	4
+	POFI	2431		Desktop Publishing for the Office: Book-Length Documents with MS Word	4
				Computer Elective4 OR	3
				Visual Communication Elective5
				Mathematics6	3
					------- 17

Semester III

				Business Studies Elective3	3
+	ETWR	2375		Writing Statistics for Information Specialists	3
+	PBAD	1341		Governmental Agencies: Grant and New-Business Proposals	3
				Humanities/Fine Arts7	3
				Business & Technical Communications Elective8	3
					------- 15

Semester IV

				Business Studies Elective3	3
+	POFT	1307		Proofreading and Editing: Business, Government and Technical Publications	3
				Social and Behavioral Science9	3
				Business and Technical Communications Elective8	3
				Computer Elective4 OR	3
				Visual Communication Elective5
+	ETWR	1391		Special Topics in English Technical and Business Writing	3
#				Capstone Portfolio Examination10
					------- 18
				TOTALS	------- 65

¹ Select from Oral Communications in the General Education Course List.
² Students lacking computer skills should take COSC 1300, COSC 1301, or BCIS 1305; students with limited experience with Microsoft Word should take POFT 1329. Students with skills in these areas should take a Semester II course such as ENGL 2311 or ARTC 1402.
³ Students must select from Accounting, Business Administration, Financial Management, International Business, Management or Marketing.
⁴ Students are encouraged to take related sequences of courses focusing on computer networks, databases, operating systems, or programming from Computer Information Technology or Computer Science.
⁵ Students are encouraged to take related sequences of courses focusing on web design, graphics, and multimedia from the Visual Communications or Engineering Design Graphics.
⁶ Select from Computational Skills in the General Education Course List.
⁷ Select from Humanities/Fine Arts in the General Education Course List.
⁸ Select from Business & Technical Communications.
⁹ Select from Social and Behavioral Sciences in the General Education Course List.
¹⁰ Students are required to complete the Capstone Portfolio Examination.

The Certificate in Business and Government Communications is designed for information specialists in business and government who write a lot in their work but who are not trained as writers and whose job titles do not include "writer." Coursework in this certificate program can be applied to the Associate of Applied Science degree in Business and Government Communications.

Semester I

	ENGL	1301		English Composition I	3
+	BUSI	1304		Business Report Writing and Correspondence	3
+	ETWR	1372		Grammar/Style	3
	BCIS	1305		Business Computer Applications1 OR	3
	COSC	1301		Personal Computing OR
	COSC	1300		Introduction to Computing OR
+	POFT	1329		Keyboarding and Document Formatting -- MS Word I OR
				Semester II Course
				Business Studies Elective2	3
					------- 15

Semester II

				Business Studies Elective2	3
	ARTC	1402		Digital Imaging I OR	3-4
+	ETWR	2375		Writing Statistics for Information Specialists
+	POFI	2431		Desktop Publishing for the Office: Book-Length Documents with MS Word	4
+	PBAD	1341		Governmental Agencies: Grant and New-Business Proposals	3
				Business & Technical Communications Elective3	3
+	POFT	1307		Proofreading and Editing: Business, Government and Technical Publications	3
#				Capstone Portfolio Examination4
					------- 19-20
				TOTALS	------- 34-35

¹ Students lacking computer skills should take COSC 1301 or BCIS 1305; students without experience with Microsoft Word should take POFT 1329. Students with skills in these areas should take a Semester II course such as ETWR 2375 or ARTC 1402.
² Select from Accounting, Business Administration, Financial Management, International Business, Management, or Marketing.
³ Select from Business and Technical Communications.
⁴ Semester II requires completion of the Capstone Portfolio Examination.